Southern African leaders have announced they will pull their troops out of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo where they have been helping the government fight rebel forces. The decision to start a "phased withdrawal" was made during a virtual summit of the 16-member Southern African Development Community (Sadc) on Thursday.

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) said on Thursday that a summit of regional heads of state had terminated the mandate of its troop deployment in the Democratic Republic of Congo and decided on a "phased withdrawal".

African leaders have announced the withdrawal of thousands of troops from South Africa, Tanzania and Malawi, who were sent to fight insurgents in mineral-rich eastern Congo, where M23 rebels have killed peacekeepers while overrunning the region this year.

African leaders announced a phased military withdrawal from eastern Congo, involving troops from South Africa, Tanzania, and Malawi, deployed against insurgencies by M23 rebels. The decision follows increasing opposition and the deaths of peacekeepers.